


Defiance

by imaginisa



Series: Gotham Knights [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2017-12-14
Packaged: 2019-02-14 22:12:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13017216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginisa/pseuds/imaginisa
Summary: The water ran down the nape of the young man's neck and into his leather jacket. He was on one knee, holding the much smaller figure to his chest while the younger boy shook silently. After being silent and strong for so long, he had finally reached his limit. He tried to push Jason away, but it was a mere reflex, and Jason knew that, so he only held Damien tighter, knowing that it was a futile gesture and that if they survived he would probably get punched in the face for his trouble.Damien couldn't speak, so he gave up struggling and buried his head in Jason's chest in a way the older boy has never seen him do with anyone.Jason looked up, taking notice of the lone body lying prone before them. Dick Grayson, still and barely breathing.And then he moved his gaze moved to Timothy Drake, sitting with his knees pulled to his chest as the water pooled around them.Jason swallowed hard and stretched out his hand to the boy who had been his replacement. After a brief hesitation, Tim reached out and wrapped his fingers around Jay's.It's, perhaps, finally, time for the end game.





	1. Secret Lost

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place in the same universe as Young Justice and my other fics in both 'Gotham Knights' and 'A Peek Behind the Curtain.'

"You have it all wrong, you know." Hugo Strange, formally chief psychiatrist at Arkham, smiled out the window of his cell. He had his new cell phone, delivered inside of a plastic bag at the bottom of the bowl of cereal, to his ear.

" _Do I_?" Even over the cell, Strange could see the scowl. 

"Yes," said Strange. "The key to defeating the Justice League isn't defeating Superman. It isn't about defeating any of the super-powered ones." Strange felt his smile grow. "It's about defeating Batman." 

The man on the other side of the line seemed to consider this. Then, " _And why is that_?" 

"Because Batman is their chief strategist," said Strange. "I've been studying Justice League movements for years. It's the Bats' work. I am sure of it. Even the work done by those children stink of the Bat. Probably some of his brats." 

" _And do you have any suggestions for how to stop him_?" Asked the man on the phone. 

"I have suggestions for whom you should ask," countered Strange. "And lucky for you - we're all in the same place." 

" _Really_?" 

"Yes," said Strange, undaunted. "Myself, Mr. Freeze, and the Joker for starters." 

" _I have the rest of the team already organized_ ," interrupted the voice. " _We will be in touch._ " 

The cell went dead.

 

The subsequent breakout from Arkham was so clean, you could almost believe it had been done by magic. 

* * *

 

"You owe me," said the young God of Chaos.

"Is the destruction of the Justice League payment enough," snapped the Organizer. 

The God of Chaos scowled before disappearing as he said, "Perhaps..."

* * *

 

"So," said the Organizer, "What is your key to defeating Batman?"

Dr. Strange smiled and indicated the Joker. "Him. Or, more accurately, the knowledge he holds." 

"And that is?" The Organizer was a god. He was not used to playing mind games. 

"You're going about this all wrong," said the Joker. He walked around the perimeter of the room and snorted up at the elegant mantel supporting gold sculptures. "So flashy." 

"All of that is priceless," Lex Luther growled. "So hands off." 

"Of course," said Joker, grinning. "And there's your problem!"

"Go on," growled the Organizer. Bored, Queen Bee examined her fingernails. 

"Things aren't truly priceless," the Joker said. He gave one of those fragile gold ornaments a little nudge. It shattered upon contact with the floor. "Oops." He said happily.

Luther ground his teeth together. "I did not offer this place as a base to be made a fool of," he growled at the Organizer. 

"What's priceless then?" Snapped the Organizer.

"Family," said Joker, pulling out a clipping from a newspaper that had been folded and refolded so many times that it was practically falling apart. It was an artist's rendition of Batman and his partners, Nightwing and Red Robin standing tall while the latest Robin was swinging from a building. Batman scowled in the center. And this shrewd artist had included Red Hood sulking in an ally, who was also never too far from trouble.

"Three times I have beaten a Robin to a pulp - twice I nearly died from it," said the Joker smugly. "Take down Batman's little squad and you take down the Batman." 

"He will never resist an opportunity to save them," added Hugo Strange. "Even if it is clearly a trap, even if he is specifically told that the captives will be killed if the Justice League is even suspected of helping him. He will always come." 

"I disagree," Luther growled. "Batman is not above abandoning a few for the good of the many." 

"Not his sons," said Joker.

Queen Bee and Luther exchanged glances. The Organizer scowled. Freeze sat in the corner and continued to enjoy himself. 

"Why are you so sure that they're his sons?" asked Luther finally. 

"Well it's too much a coincidence that Brucie has adopted four boys, isn't it?" 

"Brucie?" Asked Queen Bee. Hugo Strange's smile finally dropped. As did that of Mr. Freeze. 

"Well of course," the Joker's smile was unnaturally large, even for him. "Bruce Wayne is the Batman. Didn't any of you know?" 

Luther's scream of outrage could be heard clearly throughout his mansion home.

* * *

 

**Team: Poison Ivy, Riddler and team, Luther Employees**

 Masked men waiting in alleys, plants harmlessly creeping up drain pipes and decorating front porches in a city that is slowly raising itself out of poverty.

**Target: Nightwing, now known to be Richard Grayson. Adopted son of Bruce Wayne**

 Laughing as he checks the morning news on his iPhone with one hand as he waits in line.

**Occupation: Junior Detective, Bludhaven**

His pretty partner sneaks up to him and tries to tap him on the shoulder. He ducks out from under her arm and grabs her wrist, flashing her a charming smile. She has no idea how close she came to having a broken nose. They banter easily as the barista at the outdoor stand makes their usual.

  **Objective: Ambush him during his early morning coffee run with his partner**

 The plants bring down the entire side of the building. Instincts refined and sharpened again and again since he was nine years old, Dick Grayson grabs the barista and his partner, half-throwing them clear of the raining debris. Sacrificing the opportunity to get clear himself. He's half-buried when Riddler's and Luther's thugs go for him. By the time his partner has reached for her gun, plants have shot up to obscure the view. It still takes them several minutes to subdue the half-stunned hero.

It is 7:53 AM.

 

**Team: Joker, Joker's thugs, Luther's Men, Gearhead**

Joker insisted on taking this one. It is almost too easy. With the right bribes and the right resources and some clever bank account movements, they'd found the house. This target was actually asleep.

**Target: Red Hood, now known to be Jason Todd. Previously deceased. Adopted son of Bruce Wayne**.

He's struggling to wake up. But it's so hard. He lives for the night, and the thrill of the chase. 

**Objective: Ambush him at home. Make sure he doesn't realize you're there.**

Nanobots deactivate early warning systems. Creeping much more silently than he has any right to be able to do, Joker gets right up to the sleeping nineteen-year-old

"Hello there," Joker whispered.

Jason's eyes fly open and he's already firing the gun he had stashed under his pillow when they come at him from behind. He tries to call for help. He fails.

It is 7:53 AM.

 

**Team: Freeze, Captain Cold, and Frost**

Lounging on the tops of buildings, waiting. The early March morning is cool but snow is out of the question. Or so says the weatherman.

**Target: Red Robin, now known to be Timothy Drake. Adopted son of Bruce Wayne**

 He has an 8 AM class for which he is perpetually late. His hair is still damp from a hasty shower and he's trying to eat a muffin while making sure he actually finished his homework.

  **Objective: Ambush him at Gotham University on the way to class.**

 The ground is suddenly caked in ice. He goes sliding across it, too startled, too accustomed to being safe when he is Tim Drake, to call for help. He dodges the first few blasts of ice. But they surround him and he also goes down. 

The other students gather around the frozen courtyard a few minutes later.

"Someone should call the Batman!" Suggests a freshmen. 

They're shouted down. Called stupid. Why would an ice villain attack here.

It is 7:53 AM.

 

**Team: Queen Bee and Lex Luther**

They just walk in, claiming to be friends of his father. The security guards and principal are all heterosexual males. They do not put up much of a fight when they meet Bee's golden eyes.

**Target: Robin (current) now known to be Damien Wayne. Son of Bruce Wayne.**

He's called to the office. It's better than class. He hopes its father come to get him early. Instead, a honey-sweet voice calls his name as he opens the door.

**Objective: pick up the brat from school**

For a moment, he doesn't resist, mesmerized, but then the stubborn Wayne blood kicks in and he almost manages to shout before Luther plunges a syringe full of tranquilizing fluid into his neck.

It is 7:53 AM.

 

By 7:54 AM the photos have been uploaded to the internet.

 " _It's a shame to break up the family._ " 

 All four boys unconscious. All of them labeled with "Robin," and "one," "two," "three," and "four." The three eldest are all visibly injured.

 " _Don't you agree? Batman?_ " 

 Bruce Wayne's hand tightens on the phone. He doesn't make a sound.

 " _If any of your Justice League so much as thinks of helping you, we will kill them_."

 His other phone is already ringing. Messages popping up on the screen. With so many hackers on the Team, it's a miracle they didn't see the photos before Batman. Enough know Dick's or Tim's secret identity to guess the rest.

 " _You have until nightfall. Or they die_." 

 His sons for the Batman. Bruce Wayne let's the phone fall to the ground. He's already decided.

 Nightfall in Gotham is at 4:12pm.


	2. Joker's Birds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Justice League has been banned from helping, so Batman races the clock to save his sons.

He's been upside down, in chains, before.

 "That was almost too easy."

 He's been captured with partners before.

 "A real shame, I was expecting more of a fight."

 He's had no weapons and been surrounded on all sides before.

 "Not speaking, my birds?" 

 Dick swallowed hard, narrowing his eyes into slits and glaring at the Joker. He's never felt so powerless.

 

"The gigs up, of course," cackles Joker. "If I'd known how much easier it made everything - why! I would have told all my nice new friends all about your real names long ago." 

"You're a worthless piece of shit, you know that?!" Snarls Damien. He is still struggling, seemingly unaware that it is only making the chains cinch tighter. Jason's eyes are angry slits. Tim is stone-faced. Dick's mind seems frozen in that moment when the wall came down, when he realized that illusion of safety that had always sustained him had been shattered. 

"Ah, yes," the Joker goes up to Damien and squats so that he is eye level with the upside-down boy. "I haven't yet had a chance to play with you, have I?" Joker grins. "Baby bird?" 

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" 

Joker's grin widens as he stands and survey's the room. The gathered thugs - too many, way too many - all laugh.

 

Dick hates himself for yelling.

Hates it even more for the fact that Tim and Jason yelled the exact same thing at the exact same time. 

Jason looks murderous. Tim has started to struggle.

Joker takes out a knife, gives it a little twirl, and slashes right across Dami's face. 

Dick forces himself not to wince. _Dami's my responsibility._

Joker does it again, giving the youngest boy twin scars on either cheek.

"A smile perhaps?" Joker says, twirling the knife.

"STOP!" It's Jason who shouts. Dick is desperately trying to make eye contact with Dami. Trying to convey with looks alone how important it is that his littlest brother stay absolutely still.

The Joker starts to laugh. And laugh. And laugh.

 

He stops suddenly. "Boys," Joker says to the room. "Let's make the bat brats feel welcome." 

Dick clenches his jaw and prepares himself.

* * *

 

"Master Bruce."

"Not now, Alfred!" 

It's a game. It's always a game. He has about 6 hours left to find where they're keeping them.

_Fear makes you sloppy._

But he's afraid.

"Master Bruce!" Alfred snaps, he's also feeling the strain. He also loves those boys. "Mr. West is threatening to come over if you don't speak to him."

Precious seconds wasted. But if a member of the Justice League is seen in Gotham, it could ruin everything. Bruce isn't even letting Barbara help.

"Hand me the phone," Bruce growls, putting out his hand. 

* * *

 

The Joker has a needle and bright red surgical thread. He's singing to himself as he threads it, nonsense words that make the thugs laugh as they periodically reach out and hit one or other of the Wayne boys with electrically charged rods. The kind you use on cattle. Their bosses have explained the plan: everyone else will take care of the Batman, Joker is in charge of torturing his boys. No one trusts the Joker, but they figure playing with his "little birds" will keep him busy.

Joker approached Damien and kneels down. He strokes the Wayne-black hair almost lovingly before grabbing Damien's face and beginning to sew. Piercing flesh easily and making a ghastly grin with the red thread, sewing together Damien's lips in a gruesome smile. 

 Damien begins to struggle too late.

* * *

 

Alfred gives Bruce the house phone. Bruce wastes another second lamenting that he ever let Dick give out that number. 

"What?!" Bruce snaps into the phone. 

" _Are you crazy?_!" The young adult on the other side snaps. " _You can't seriously be thinking of rescuing them on your own! There are already six or seven known super villains involved! You're going to get them killed_." 

"Wally," Bruce says quietly, dangerously. "You're wasting my time." 

" _Let us help_ ," Wally begs. " _The shapeshifters-_ " 

"Will be instantly sensed by Queen Bee who was already identified at Damien's school!" Bruce takes a deep breath. "I will do this my way." 

And he hangs up.

 

In Central City, Wally throws his phone at the wall - it goes clear through to the other side - and buries his head in his hands.

He remembers when Joker last got Dick. How he was almost too late to save him. 

 "Don't be wrong, Bruce," he whispers.

* * *

 

The Joker finishes sewing Damien's mouth shut. The thugs keep laughing. 

After almost tearing his lips from struggling, Dami forces himself to stay silent, letting only tears and his fingernails tearing through his palm to betray his pain. 

_It will hurt more if I scream._

The other three scream enough for him, anyway. Shouting at Joker to stop, stop. _Don't you want a rematch? Don't you want to fight the best Robin? The oldest? The one that got away?_  

But that's not the point. The point is Joker finally got them all.

 Dami just cries. That in itself is terrifying. That a villain finally did something that made him cry. 

 The Joker laughs and then leaves. The thugs assume he's getting something else.

  
Later, everyone wonders where he went.

 

Of course, then Dami can't shout. He can't shout when Tim goes limp from whatever electro-torture they're doing on him. 

He can't shout when the thugs form a ring and cut Jason and Dick down and put guns and clubs in both their hands and say "Fight! Fight or we kill the younger ones!" 

_It's a bluff!_ Dami wants to scream. But he's not sure.

And neither are Jason or Dick so they fight, they fight each other until they are raw and bleeding and Dick - already injured from earlier - stumbles and falls and Jason suddenly has a gun to his older brother's head and Dami wants to yell. Jason doesn't do it, though. He just stands there, his hand trembling.

 

Tim let's out a strangled yell without words and the thugs laugh and pull them apart again. 

The gun disappears into the shadows as it is accidentally kicked away.

 

"Is that who matters then?" Someone taunts. "The older brother? Is he everyone's favorite?" 

They've tied Jason again. Tim is once again limp. Dami has never felt so helpless as the whole mob attacks Dick with clubs. One of them, carelessly, loosens the chains hoisting the oldest Wayne boy to the ceiling.

Dick drops to the floor and his head hits the cement floor with a sharp CRACK.

 

Everyone pauses.

Dami whimpers behind closed lips.

"You bastards," Jason gasps.

One of the thugs leans in close to Dick's body and says, "Fuck, I killed him." 

 

That's when Tim starts shooting.


	3. The Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There only chance to escape is to work together...but are they strong enough for this?

Tim hadn't actually gone limp with pain. 

Well, he had. 

But then had come the idea.

 

Thin wrists. Thinner than Dick's, much thinner than Jason's, perhaps even someday thinner than Damien's. So when he went limp, he was actually pulling on his right wrist. Pulling, twisting his right hand through the manacle around it. Slowly tearing at his skin but everything already hurt so what was a bit more pain. 

 

Tim pulls and pulls as they hang Jason and Dick back on the ceiling. As the gun Jason had been using slides to a stop directly below him. 

As they let Dick fall.

The sound of his brother hitting the ground is the shock needed for Tim to pull his wrist the rest of the way through. It is with a hand slick with blood that Tim grabs the only weapon he sees, and comes up firing. 

 

Two of them fall before they understand what is happening. Then they try to rush him all at once which is a mistake because time has slowed down and Tim picks off one more before they can even get close.

They get to him but Tim leaps high, swinging on the chain with his left hand, still firing but most shots go wild and those that hit aren't deadly. 

 

Even chained he's dangerous. Especially since he has nothing left to lose.

 

Suddenly, the gun is empty but so is the room. They've run out, yelling and shouting and cursing. The door slams shut behind them and there is the whirr of an electric lock.

 

Then, the room is still.

 

The time is 2:30 pm.

* * *

 

Jason thinks he's dead.

Cause only in hell would Tim Drake take out five people and wound a dozen more.

Only in hell would Tim Drake use a gun lethally. 

 

Jason doesn't know what's happening. But Damien is looking at him with wide eyes and Tim is on his knees, left hand still stretched to the ceiling, still chained. Sobbing. Tim is sobbing. "What have I done? What have I done?" 

 Damien suddenly makes a desperate noise, his eyes on Dick and Jason turns and sees that, impossibly, his older brother is still breathing. 

  _But none of us will be for much longer if we don't leave through that door._

 Damien is looking at Jason again, almost accusatory. 

  _Why is it me_? Jason thinks desperately, looking back at Tim. _Of all the people to comfort him now...?_

"Tim," Jason calls gently, trying to hide his panic, trying to hide the urgency.  "You saved our lives."

Tim doesn't look up but he goes silent, breathing raggedly. 

Jason wonders if anyone realizes that this is the first time he's ever called Tim by his first name.

"That's what you did," Jason insists. "You saved our lives. Look, Dick's still alive." 

That gets his attention. Tim looks up, eyes tracing Dick's chest, desperately rising and falling.

"Tim, look at me," Jason says.

Too harshly.

Tim flinches and doesn't look away from Dick. Jason clenches his fists and tries again, "Tim, please, look at me."

This time he does. 

 _Why is he so damn small?_ "Tim," Jason says as gently as he can. "Listen, you need to get yourself loose and cut me down, ok? Dick probably needs first aid and Damien..." _Jason can't even begin to fathom what Damien may need. To be far from Gotham, probably._ "...and we need to get out of here before they come back. The only thing saving us is that you caught them by surprise. Hell, I don't even know why they left instead of..."

 _Instead of killing you._  

Tim seems to understand. He, shakily, let's the gun fall from his fingers and searches his own pocket for a thin lock-pick.

 

Jason almost laughs. The hysterical laugh of a man losing his mind. Tim has a lockpick in his pocket. Of course, he does. So does Jason. 

Tim cries out from pain as he hits the ground, finally free. But he gets up and runs to Jason. Tim's right-hand leaves a bloody handprint on Jason's arm as the younger boy gets him free. It takes longer, for Tim was the only one whose legs had been unchained during the thug's perverted fun.

"Damien," says Jason as soon as he is loose. "Free Damien." 

Jason goes and tries the door. Locked, of course.

For a moment, he's back in a different locked room... _one he never left alive..._ Jason shakes himself out of it and concentrates. _I can probably hack the door controls._

 

Tim has moved onto Dick, his hands shaking so badly that it takes him several tries. Damien is sitting back, obviously in pain, his chest heaving. 

Tim checks Dick's pulse. Weak but steady.

"Dick's okay for now," Tim says.

Damien narrows his eyes as he looks at Tim. He's managed to stop crying. Tim's voice had a definite tremor that Damien has never heard before.

The youngest boy lowers his gaze to Tim's hands...and is startled to see how badly they're trembling.

 _Electro-shock therapy_. Damien realizes...that's how the Joker tortured him before, too.

 

"I think I can hack the door," Jason announces. "If I get this open, can you two carry Dick?" 

Tim and Damien exchange glances and they both nod. Both are lying. Damien doesn't think he can stand. Tim is using every single ounce of his willpower to focus. 

 

Damien looks up just as Jason begins. "On three. One..."

Damien grabs Tim's arm and points up frantically. 

"Two..."

Tim looks up and instantly lets out a shot. "NO!" 

Jason' hand jerks and he lets out a frustrated growl.

"What is your problem?!" Jason snarls.

"The ceiling," says Tim, his mouth dry. _Why can't I concentrate?_ "It's...bombs. There are bombs." 

Jason looks up.

 The entire ceiling is spider-webbed with explosives. 

"No..." Jason breathes. "No...I'm not dying this way again!" 

He shouts it at the ceiling, and then slumps against the wall breathing hard, one hand hiding his face. 

_No...no..._

He can hear the Joker laughing.

_I can't do this twice. I'm not ready to die. Not again. Please._

The time is 3 pm.


	4. Countdown

Jason doesn't know how long he stands there, breathing hard.

But then a trembling hand grabs his arm. Although grab is too harsh. More like touches, holds. Something comforting.

 _Which is a new one_..?

Jason looks up and meets Tim's steel-grey eyes. Tim's hands are still shaking, he's obviously in the midst of a full-blown panic attack, but here he is trying to comfort Jason.

Jason slides his gaze to Damien and swallows hard. Even in the dim light, that ghastly red grin made of surgical thread that stretches across Damien's face stands out. A special torture for everyone. 

 _I can't let them die_ , Jason realizes. _Dick...I get it. Family's work there way up from the bottom. I won't let them die._  

Jason meets Tim's eyes again and asks, "Can we rewire the explosives?" 

Tim looks up, looking uncertain. 

Damien bangs on the wall and the two older boys flinch before looking at him. 

Damien stands and goes to the corner of the room, jabbing his finger at a small box.

"Oh," says Tim. He goes to take a better look. "Oh...this isn't too bad. As long as we don't break the circuit we can move everything - they left the power source in here with us." 

"Can't we just turn it off?" Jason asks.

Tim shakes his head. "Not with this kind of bomb - it will trigger an explosion. But-" 

"We can put everything around the door and blow our way free," interrupts Jason. 

Tim manages a small smile. 

Jason goes to stand by the younger boys and looks up. "If you stand on my shoulders, can you do it?" Jason asks Tim.

That hesitant smile disappears and Damien grabs one of Tim's hands and holds it up. A slight tremor is still visible. 

"Oh," says Jason. He feels ashamed. 

Damien points at himself and then at Jason and then the ceiling. 

"You want to stand on my shoulders?" Asks Jason. 

Damien nods. 

"Will you follow Tim's instructions?"

Another nod, this one with a slight softening of his eyes. _I'm sorry,_ says those eyes. 

"Okay," says Jason. And he kneels so Damien can climb on.

 

The time is 3:22 pm.

* * *

 

 

It took longer than they wanted. Hearts pounding and skipping unevenly as Tim relayed instructions and Damien carefully untwisted screws with a small knife they pulled off one of the dead bodies. But then it was done. The explosives had been placed around the door. All they had to do was attempt to mess with the power source and the whole thing would blow. 

"Ready?" Jason asks. They're pressed against the far wall, Dick cradled between them. "Three...Two...One..." Jason pulls the cover off the small black box.

The explosives all blink red. And blow. 

 

There is a hole where the door was...leading to another door at the end of a narrow hallway.

And there are cracks in the ceiling. They were expecting that.

 They weren't expecting the water.

 

That's when Damien loses it.

 

It's 3:47 pm.

* * *

 

 At 3:50 pm, Batman calls the Justice League. "I found them." 


	5. End Game

The water is running down the nape of Jason's neck and pooling inside of his leather jacket. He's on one knee, holding Damien to his chest. 

Tim goes to try the other door. _It's locked._ Tim lets his hand fall and looks back. Damien has given up struggling and buries his head in Jason's chest in a way neither of the other two boys has ever seen him do before. Dick's body is still, barely breathing, beside them. 

_This is it._

Tim walks slowly to his brothers and drops to the floor, pulling his knees to his chest. The panic attack is back in full force.

Jason looks up and reaches out his hand. After a slight hesitation, Tim takes it.

 _At least we're not dying alone,_ Tim thinks.

 "We're not going to die," says Jason.

Tim blinks, startled.

Then the roof collapses.

 

Jason sees it in slow motion. He pulls Damien into his chest and Tim as close as he can. The water fills the room, pushing them all into the wall. Dick's still body is washed away from them.

Jason grits his teeth and pushes off from the floor with all his strength. Damien is still in his arms but Tim realizes what's happening and starts to kick when Jason does.

Out through the hole in the roof, mouths full of salty water, Jason kicks off from the roof of the god-damn box. He can see the light of the setting sun high above them. Jason let's go of Tim's hand - the current Red Robin starts to swim - and throws Damien up with all his strength. 

Damien still seems dazed, but starts to struggle to the surface. Tim pauses to help Damien.

 

Trusting his brothers - already running out of oxygen - Jason turns to find Dick's body.

* * *

 

 

Tim makes it to the surface as his vision begins to blur. He's aware of fighting nearby - on the surface of the water, on boats and in the sky. He doesn't care.

"Damien? Damien? DAMIEN!" 

He plunges down again and grabs the kid around the waist to haul him to the surface. They break the surface as a speedboat comes up to them.

Kid Flash's face changes from relief to horror as he takes in Damien's face and the way the Joker tied his lips together. 

Tim doesn't notice.

Damien is going into shock, his body shuddering, as he can't open his mouth to take in the breath he desperately needs. 

"Someone sedate him!" Tim shouts desperately. "SOMEONE SEDATE ROBIN!" 

Damien is clutching Tim's arms so hard he's leaving marks, Tim is struggling to keep them both above water, a battle neither understand is raging around them. 

"SOMEONE SEDATE-!" 

Tim's voice cuts off as, after getting a confirming nod that Miss Martian is already in the process of lifting them out of the water using telekinesis, Green Arrow lets two sedative arrows fly. Miss Martian places the two younger boys gently in the boat. 

Batman is stony faced as he strips down to just the black jumpsuit. "Take care of them," Batman commands. And he dives into the water to find his two other sons.

The time is 4:12 pm.


	6. After a Nightmare

A strangled shout pulls Damien from the darkness.

He's in his room, in Wayne Manor. An IV in his arm and electrodes connected to a heart monitor on his chest. 

Hesitantly, he reaches up to feel his face. There are some small pieces of surgical tape on his bottom and top lip. But they are no longer tied together.

Damien sags against the pillows in relief. 

_At least I didn't see myself that way_ , he thinks. 

_But who shouted?_

Damien clears his throat and hesitantly calls, "Hello?"

Almost instantly, Alfred appears at the door. 

"Ah, Master Damien," says Alfred. He looks relieved although his voice is as stoic as ever. "How are you feeling?" 

Damien considers this. He settles on, "Alive." 

Alfred nods. "Would you like some soup?" 

Damien nods. He's very hungry. But first, "Pennyworth, who shouted?" 

"Master Timothy," replies Alfred. "He is the only other young master who is currently awake."

"But everyone is alive?" Damien asks. 

"Of course, Master Damien," says Alfred with a smile. "You're all Wayne's after all." And he leaves to get the soup.

 

But he doesn't come back with it.

 

"Dami?" It's Tim at the door. "Can I come in? I have the food." He holds up a tray. There are two large mugs on it. One has a straw. "Alfred wants you to use a straw," he adds.

"Come in, Drake," says Damien, sitting up a bit more. 

Then he processes the first part of the sentence. 

"You called me...." he trails off. 

Tim's already hesitant smile melts away.

"No," says Damien quickly. "No, I don't mind. At least...when it's just us...I don't mind." 

Tim can't quite get the smile back again, but he looks grateful and he sits in a nearby chair before handing Damien his mug. 

For a few minutes, they both focus on eating, but then Damien asks, "How are you doing?" 

Tim shrugs. "I stopped shaking eventually, I tried to pass it off as an effect of the electro-shocks but..." 

Damien snorts and then winces. "I bet father did not believe that." 

"Nope." 

They are silent once again, sipping soup. 

"Tim?" Damien whispers. 

Tim looks at him. 

"Thank you for...for not letting me drown." 

Tim, hesitantly, puts his hand on Dami's shoulder. "I know we argue...but you're my brother. And I'm always going to fight for you." 

"We need to tell Todd that," Dami says. 

Tim looks serious. "As soon as he wakes up." 

"What do you need to tell me?" Jason asks tiredly by the door. 

"JAY!" His brothers yell. 

His nickname from before.

Jason smiles. 

* * *

 

Dick leans back on the pillow and gives Jason a grateful smile. 

"You saved them." 

Jason shrugs. 

"Thank you." 

Jason looks serious as he says, "At one point, I think I was doing it for you. But then...then I was saving them for them..." 

Dick nods, beaming and Jason scowls. "Shut up." 

 

 

* * *

 

 

Bruce wakes up in panic. It's a few minutes from dawn, late even for the Batman. The nightmare is still fresh in his mind. Jason and Dick still, water dripping from their hair and clothes. Tim screaming until they sedated him. The ghastly grin the Joker sewed across Damien's face.

_At least they're all here. In this house. Safe._

He stands, pulling on a robe, deciding to go and check on Damien.

But Damien is standing right outside of the door, hand raised as if he has frozen about to touch the handle.

"Father! I...ugh..."

"Bad dream?" Bruce asks gently. 

Damien pulls himself to his full height. "I had an inexplicable urge to check that you were still breathing," he babbles, his voice slightly shakier than normal. "All those knocks on the head may come back to haunt you someday." 

"Maybe," agrees Bruce. 

He and Damien look at each other silently in the dark hall. 

"Dami," says Bruce gently. "There's no one here but us." 

Damien rushes into the hug. 

"I...I understand why they stopped for a while," Dami whispers into his father's chest. "I understand why the Joker makes them so afraid."

Bruce nods, his throat tight.

"Can we...can we go make hot chocolate?" Damien asks.

Bruce manages a smile. "Yes. And maybe some pancakes?"

"Can I get the others?" Damien asks. 

Bruce nods.

* * *

 

Tim is standing over the sink in the bathroom. In a cold sweat and shaking. He feels like he might throw up. 

_It was only a nightmare._

The door opens suddenly; making Tim jump and he spins around to face Jason. 

"It's okay!" Says Jason, putting up his hands. "No guns, no anything. I just...ugh...came to see if you..." 

Tim nods. Trying to be logical. "Did you hear me scream?"

"No," Jason frowns. "Did you scream?" 

Tim shrugs. "I don't know..."

Jason hesitates, awkward. Unsure. "You, you okay then?" 

Tim shrugs. "You?"

Jason also shrugs. 

They stand there, still unsure. 

"Tim," says Jason suddenly. He only uses his real name now. "You know all that stuff I said about...about you only being a Replacement and all?" 

"Yeah?" 

"You know I don't mean it, right?" 

Tim suddenly smiles. He holds up his room key. The original Christmas present Jason got him, the keychain that says "Replacement" is hanging there. The present Jason thought he'd thrown away.

"I know," says Tim. He's no longer afraid. 

They hear Damien knocking on one of their doors, announcing, "Father and I are making hot chocolate, if you're awake."

Dick's voice instantly replies. "What about pancakes?" 

"Also pancakes," agrees Damien.

Jason and Tim grin.

 

The nightmares faded with the rising of the sun and happy chatter over steaming stacks of pancakes. 

 

The Justice League captured and erased the memory of everyone involved. Even the Organizer fell victim as the God of Chaos called in his debt. After all, think of him more of a God of Entropy, not Chaos. And entropy is neither good, nor bad. 

It just is.


End file.
